Floor or ceiling plate.



E. E. BLAUSSEN 6;]. C. HAMMER.

FLOOR 0R CEILING PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I3. 19!].

1,285,043. v PatentedNov. 19,1918.

FIG-5- INVENTQRS prion.

EDWARD E. CLAUSSEN AND JOSEPH C. HAMTJIER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

FLOOR 0R CEILING PLATE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EDWARD E. Grnossnir and Josnrrr C. HAMMER, citizens of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor or Ceiling Plates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to floor or ceiling plates, the object of the invention being to provide an article of this character which has means of an effective nature for uniting the sections for relative swinging movement, for holding them closed when desired, and for closing them. The invention can obviously be incorporated in plates of different character; that is to say a plate may have provision for the reception of one or a plurality of pipes or equivalent elements.

In the'dra-wings accompanying and forming part of the present specification wehave shown in detail certain forms of embodiment of the invention which will be set forth fully in the following description. lVe are not limited in this particular, however; we may depart therefrom in several respects within the scope of the invention defined by the claims following said description.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear view of a floor or ceiling plate involving the invention, the sections being separated and the spring dismounted.

Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sections on the lines 22 and 33 respectively of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. t is a view corresponding to Fig. l with the sections closed together and representing the spring in position.

Fig. 5 is a rear view and Fig. 6 a side view of the spring appearing in Fig. 4:.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The plate shown comprises the practically duplicate halves or sections 2 and 3 which after the usual fashion may be struck up from sheet metal, although the material from which the sections or halves 2 and 3 are made is not a matter of consequence. Sheet metal is as may be inferred, eminently desirable for the purpose. The sections 2 and 3 as shown are semi-circular, and they have along their outer ends rims or flanges 4: which extend backwardly, and the ends of which are adapted to practically abut when the plate isclosed. In the construction Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

Application filed February 13. 1917. Serial No. 148,434.

shown the hinge members which unite the sections or halves 2 and of the plate are rigid with the rear portions of the flanges a, and as will be understood may vary decidedly. We have shown two of the several types of hinges which meet our conditions. In Fig. 1 the plate 2 is provided with a hinge member 5, while the plate 3 is equipped with a cooperating hinge member 6. The hinge member 5 is practically in the form of a hook constituting a continuation of the rear portion of the flange l of the section 2, beingslotted as at 7 (Fig. 2) to receive the hinge member 6 which is also in hook form, the bent base portion 8 of the hinge member 6 being intended to rock in the slot 7 as the sections 2 and 3 are swung toward or from each other. When the sections are closed as illustrated for instance in Fig. &,the free portion of the hinge member or element 6 will be adjacent the inner side of the marginal flange or head a of the section 2 as illustrated in said view. As will be understood the hinge members 5 and 6 extend from the butt or hinge portions of the two sections 2 and 3, and when the said hinge members are in assembled relation the sections 2 and 3 can be freely opened and closed.

The sections or segments 2 and 3 in addition to the marginal flanges have flanges 9 along their apertures which mate as shown for example in Fig. t to form a circle, and these flanges at their forward ends or what is the lower portions thereof in Fig. l are equipped with a catch to hold'the sections of the plate closed. The flange 9 of the section 12 is equipped with a projection 10 of practically angular form which extends from the front end of said flange, the outwardly extending branch of the angular projection 10 being slotted or notched as at 11 in its lower side. The front end of the flange'Q of the section 3 has a forwardly extending projection or catch portion 12 which extends along the front end of said section 3 as shownin both Figs. 1 and 3. This catch portion 12 adjacent the flange 9 has a slot or notch 13. It will be assumed that the parts 2 and 3 are connected together as illustrated in Fig. l for instance, and that they are in open position. To close them the following procedure will be adopted: They can be moved toward each other and when they are nearly closed they will be moved relatively to each other in a direction at right angles to their closing movement, so as to carry the projection 12 below the lower edge oi the projection 10, the motion being continued until the slot 13 is opposite the slot 11 when the two sections :2 and 3 will be alined so as to pro ect the slotted portion of the catch 12 into the slot 11 and thus maintain the closed relation. In the construction shown in Fig. the sections or halves 15 and 16 of the plate are hinged together as already described, and they have the outside or marginal flanges or beads 17 and 18 and the inner flanges or beads 19 and 20 counterparts of the flanges i and heads 9 already described in connection with Fig. l. The halves or sections 15 and 16 are connected together by a hinge such as that denoted in a general way by 21, a counterpart of the hinge shown in Fig. l. and already described in detail.v The sections or halves are also fastened together by a catch such as that denoted in a general way by :22 which is precisely like that described in detail in connection with the showing of Fig. 1. In view of tiis condition the parts in question need not again be described. In Fig. i the sections 15 and 16 of the plate are closable toward each other by a spring such as that denoted in general way by This spring is shown in said Fig. a in place and isalso shown separated from the plate or the sections thereof in Figs. 5 and 6. This spring is a suitable one for performing two offices, namely as a convenient means for constantly closing the sections or halves l5 and 16 toward each other and at the same time for engaging the pipe or equivalent which the plate or ring surrounds. While the spring in question serves suitably in this connection, one of an entirely difierent type might be substituted therefor, although the one shown and now to be described is advantageous. This spring comprises the portion 2% made up of the inwardlyconverging sides or legs 25 and the connecting portion 26 of compound curvature uniting the two sides, these parts as shown being integral. The comoound curved part when the spring is in position crosses the joint at the rear of the plate as shown best in Fig. 4, and when the plate is opened in the manner already described, this connecting or compound curved portion and especially the bowed dipped intermediate part by acting upon the sides or legs. acts to swing said legs toward each other, and the latter in turn by hearing against the sections or halves of the plate or ring close said sections toward each other.

The flanges l9 and 20. have near their rear ends the outwardly extending lugs 27 which are engaged by the tree portions of the sides 25. From these sides 25 project outwardly the bowed extensions 28 which are situated under the lugs 29 on the flanges 19 and 20 forward of the lugs 27 to thus aid in holding the spring 23. in position. The projections or arcuate extensions :28 are in the construction shown made comparatively long, so that they can present a convenient means for engaging a rod around which the plate made up of the sections 15 and 16 is fitted. The flanges 19 and 20 as shown have between their ends the lugs 30 against which the bowed extensions 28 are adapted to fit, said lugs 30 having at their rear ends the extensions 31 which overlie the bowed portions 28 between the ends thereof. As will be un derstood there may be cases where these bowed extensions 28 or their equivalents could be wholly dispensed with. We oro-,

vide however, a spring which serves a double otlice as already noted, acting on the one hand when in position to close the sections of the plate toward each other, and at the same time to engage a pipe or rod which the plate or ring surrounds and the spring already described serves satisfactorily in this connection.

What we claim is:

1. A. door or ceiling plate comprising two approximately duplicate sections hinged to each other for relative swinging movement and of segmental form, the sections being openable to receive a pipe and being closable to fit around said pipe, and a bowed spring the branches of which extend into the opening presented by said sections and are also united with the sections the transverse portion of the spring being situated in proximity to the hinged joint between said sections.

2. A door or ceiling plate comprising two approximately duplicate sections hinged to each other for relative swinging movementv and of segmental form, the sections being openable to receive a pipe and being closable to fit around said pipe or equivalent, and a bowed spring the branches of which extend into the opening presented by said sections and are also united with the sections, the transverse portion or the spring being situated in proximity to the hinged joint between the sections, the latter having means at a point opposite the hinge tor positively holding said sections in closed relation.

3. A floor or ceiling plate comprising two approximately duplicate sheet metal sections provided with peripheral flanges, the flanges having laterally-extending integral hinge members directly united with each other for connecting said sections for relative swinging movement, the sections being openable to receive a pipe or its equivalent and being closable to fit around said pipe or equivalent, the flanges having at a point remote from the hinge members catch means which cooperate to maintain the plate in closed form around said pipe, and a bowed spring the branches of which extend into the opening presented by said sections and are also united with the sections, the transverse portion of the spring being situated in proximity to the joint between the sections.

4. A floor or ceiling plate comprising two approximately duplicate sections hinged together for relative swinging movement and of segmental form, the sections being openahle to receive a pipe and being closable to fit around said object, and a bowed spring the branches of which extend into the opening presented by said sections, the latter having respectively lugs bent over said branches, the transverse portion of the spring being situated in proximity to the 15 hinged joint between the sections, the latter having respectively additional lugs which overlie the branches of the spring between said other lugs and said hinge.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signa- 20 tures in the presence of two witnesses.

EDl/VARD E. CLAUSSEN. JOSEPH C. HAMMER. Witnesses:

L. L. MARKEL, HEATH SUTEZERLAND.

topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, f Washington, D. G. 

